A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows some pretty disturbing numbers when it comes to binge drinking in the United States. Nationwide, the data shows that one in six adults are binge drinkers. In Wisconsin it’s closer to one in four, where 25.6% of their population binge drink. Meanwhile, Utah has the least bingers at only 11%. Check out the map below to see how your state stacks up.
The study — which defines binge drinking as five or more drinks in a short period of time for men and four or more for women — breaks down the nation’s 38 million binge drinkers by a variety of measures, including geography, age and income level.
Binge drinking accounts for more than 40,000 deaths per year through violence, drunken-driving accidents and longer-term issues like cancer, heart disease and liver failure.
Other findings of the report:
- One in six American adults is a binge drinker, consuming alcohol in excess about 4 times a month
- Binge drinking is most common in men, people who have been to college, and those with incomes of $75,000 or more.
- Only about 4% of people 65 and older binge drink, far fewer than adults in other age groups. But they do it more often — five times a month, on average.
- Half of all alcohol consumed in the U.S. is consumed during binge drinking. For young people, that rate shoots up to 90%.
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